Dutch prince 'ashamed' over toilet-throwing contest

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander has spoken at his shame of taking part in a traditional Dutch toilet-throwing contest.

The prince admitted he felt ashamed when hurling the orange-coloured ceramic pottyPhoto: REUTERS

2:24PM BST 31 May 2012

The heir to the Dutch throne was in the small eastern village of Rhenen on Queen's Day, April 30, where he entered – and won – a traditional village game of toilet-bowl tossing.

But speaking at a function in Rotterdam on Wednesday, the prince admitted he felt ashamed when hurling the orange-coloured ceramic potty given the lack of proper sanitary conditions in the developing world.

"Here in the Netherlands there are towns that take part in the throwing of toilet-bowls for a laugh," he said.

"I participated with a smile, but not without shame in thinking about the some 2.6 billion people around the world that do not have this most basic infrastructure to fulfil a daily need with dignity."

But competition organiser Jakob Buitenhuis told Thursday's edition of the popular daily Algemeen Dagblad he found the prince's attitude "childish".

"Because he won, we even gave him a cup with a little toilet on top with a string you can pull to flush it," Buitenhuis added.

Hundreds of thousands of Dutch take to the streets on April 30 every year in orange wigs and bizarre hats to celebrate Queen's Day, a national holiday and annual festival to mark the birthday of Queen Beatrix's mother Queen Juliana.